YNAB...ing my way to freedom!

FootyFanDan

It's really strange as before this whole virus hit us my focus was to find a job where I could work from home and that has always been a plan, however this last few weeks of trying to do bits of admin at home as just shown I neither have the commitment nor concentration to do the whole work from home. If this virus brings me nothing else good its shown me that right now home working is firmly on the shelve!

Hope you are taking care of yourself

SuperFrank88

Sarahwithlove said:

Maybe set yourself a reminder every hour to get up and move about from your seat. I've found it's helped with my back and shoulders. I don't think we will be furloughed as they seem to think working from home is going ok, but it's killing my back. 

im loving YNAB it's really helped me think about planning for future purchases and think about whether I can really afford things. 

That is a good idea. The day seems to go so much quicker working from home! I'll start something and before I know it I have been sat in the same place for 3 hours. Glad to hear work is somewhat secure for you. 

Tell me about it! YNAB has properly changed my life! I used to have to buy things straight away, I could never wait a few days to see if I REALLY wanted it. Now I don't even think about buying things. I think it is because I have got my 'Fun Money' category on YNAB and it is obviously a much smaller balance than my bank account balance. Where before I would look at the whole balance and think 'Yes I can afford it', now I check my Fun money category and it makes me think hmmm if I spend this much I will only have that much left. Huge mental shift!

SuperFrank88

FootyFanDan said:

It's really strange as before this whole virus hit us my focus was to find a job where I could work from home and that has always been a plan, however this last few weeks of trying to do bits of admin at home as just shown I neither have the commitment nor concentration to do the whole work from home. If this virus brings me nothing else good its shown me that right now home working is firmly on the shelve!

Hope you are taking care of yourself

I'm with you! I have only been office based for the last year or so. Before that I was in the workshop on the tools on my feet for 8 hours a day. So going into the office full time was a huge change for me. Now this working from home is a whole new level! The money is better now than it was when I was on the tools because I have taken on so much more responsibility, but I much preferred being 'active' all day.   

Sarahwithlove

SuperFrank88 said:

Sarahwithlove said:

Maybe set yourself a reminder every hour to get up and move about from your seat. I've found it's helped with my back and shoulders. I don't think we will be furloughed as they seem to think working from home is going ok, but it's killing my back. 

im loving YNAB it's really helped me think about planning for future purchases and think about whether I can really afford things. 

That is a good idea. The day seems to go so much quicker working from home! I'll start something and before I know it I have been sat in the same place for 3 hours. Glad to hear work is somewhat secure for you. 

Tell me about it! YNAB has properly changed my life! I used to have to buy things straight away, I could never wait a few days to see if I REALLY wanted it. Now I don't even think about buying things. I think it is because I have got my 'Fun Money' category on YNAB and it is obviously a much smaller balance than my bank account balance. Where before I would look at the whole balance and think 'Yes I can afford it', now I check my Fun money category and it makes me think hmmm if I spend this much I will only have that much left. Huge mental shift!

It's easy to get lost in stuff when working from home. I work for my local government so we have security for now. Who knows after this is all over as I can see another round of cuts coming. 

Yep same here I have sending money and if want something it comes from that and when I make arrangements for activities in my diary I now put an estimate next to it as to how much I intend to spend. That way I can look at what activities I have left and how much of my budget I really have available. 

SuperFrank88

Hi all,

Wow nearly 2 weeks since my last post! Haven't really had anything to write about though. Had another default notice this morning from another one of my creditors. I have not had the first default yet and the 14 days since the default notice came has passed now. I wonder if companies are holding back on issuing defaults now because they are trying to be nice due to the current situation? I hope not because I want them to default me now!

This week is my week off from work which was previously booked before all this happened. It has been a nice break from working from home. Seems that govt are going to extend lock down for another 3 weeks so that's what I have got to look forwards too. But grateful I still have a job and am on 100% pay. Had my first payslip of the new tax year and my monthly take home has gone up about £10 due to a reduction in NI contributions so that's a bonus. I had my pay rise in April last year when I started my new position, and had had a pay rise every year before that since I started with the company 10 years ago as a apprentice. I do not think or expect to have a pay rise this year due to the current situation, but we will see.

I have started matched betting this week as I have got the time to do it properly. I have known about it for a while and have read lots of diaries where people have used it to gain some extra £'s to put towards their debt. I am not a gambling person, it does not interest me. I am doing it purely to gain from the free bet offers that the companies offer. I am working my way through the welcome offers, it is tough at the moment because most the sport has been put on hold. I am up to around £100 profit after 4 bookmaker offers which is good going. I plan to work my way through most of the welcome offers, the one's that offer £10-20 profit. Build the pot up slowly to around £500 and then knock it on the head. People make a monthly living from it but the time they have to put in to it does not appeal to me. 

Anyway, that is where I am at. We have managed to get two supermarket delivery slots. One for next weekend with Asda and one for the first week in May with Morrisons. My OH works in a hospital but as she is on immuno-suppressants she has been told to shield for 12 weeks (which I am glad about).  Up until now I have been going to the supermarket to do the weekly food shop, but now she has been given priority slots from the supermarkets, it is safer for me not to go to the shops in case I bring something home to her. Welsh govt cocked up this week though and sent the letters to the wrong addresses! We are already 3 weeks behind England in getting the letter sent anyway. 

Hope you are all well and coping OK. Off to clean the car now! Weather is looking to turn on the weekend.

Frank

SuperFrank88

Hi all,
Another 2 weeks have passed since posting.
I am in a much better place now working from home than I was at the start of lock down! I am so grateful that I still have a job and am on 100% pay.  There is no sign of us going back anytime soon. 
I have got a proper structure to my day and that seems to really help. Regular breaks really do help. I have also started to listen to podcasts while I am working which helps.
 Health wise, I am doing well with eating good food and either doing a home workout or going out for a run/walk.
Finance wise and it is all very quiet. YNAB is ticking along nicely. Most of next months bills have been budgeted for with this months salary. My age of money is up to 56 days now. Lock down has obviously helped this as I am saving on fuel costs.
I have not heard from any of my creditors, this whole COVID-19 crisis seems to have put the breaks on creditors chasing for money. I now think that the 3-6 months of missed payments before getting a default is going to turn into 6-12 months. 
Debating sending letters asking for them to default me because I am ready to go now with the payments. 

Hope you are all staying safe. Will make more of a effort to post more regularly.

Frank 

SuperFrank88

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all well. We have another 3 weeks at home here in Wales. I would be surprised if it is not the same for England too after BoJo's speech tomorrow evening.

Well I have officially been furloughed now, but I am extremely lucky that my boss has told me he will make up the 20% so I am still on full pay.
I have got so much uni work to get done over the next couple of weeks so I sure won't have my feet up relaxing! I am really struggling having all my uni modules delivered online because we are not getting anywhere near as much support. Hey ho it is what it is. I am grateful that the course is being fully funded. I would not be happy if I was having to pay £9k/yr even though I know it is out of the uni's hands and is not their fault.

Finance wise and it is same old. YNAB is ticking along nicely. If there is something that has come out of this whole situation it is that I do not want to work until retirement age! So this has given me some motivation to plough on and get debt free.

I am having virtually no contact from my creditors during this crisis apart from the odd balance statement. I really want to get the ball rolling now but obviously not until my accounts default. Do you think it would be OK to email my creditors rather than write to them? I want to start asking them to default my account but as I have so many creditors, it will cost £7+ in stamps alone every time.  I have used the CAB self managed DMP tool to generate all my offer letters. Just need to send them. Any suggestions would be really helpful.
Frank

SuperFrank88

Hello All,
We're still locked down here in Wales. Does help that the weather has been fantastic though.

So today is payday. Very grateful that I still have a job. All my pots in YNAB have been fully funded for the rest of May and most of June is sorted, so when I get paid in June I will have 50% of my salary left after the rest of my pots have been funded. I have managed to save thousand in only 5 months since starting to use YNAB. It is worth every penny (even though I am on the free student year). 
This month is the last of the 4 payments I had for my car MOT, Service & repairs back in Feb. So I will be £140 better off next month, though I have a pot already set up in Monzo to start contributing monthly payments ready for next Feb. 
I am still waiting for my first default! I have decided to just hang on and stick to the original plan of not paying or setting up a DMP until the account has defaulted. With the amount I am saving into my S&S ISA and EF every month, I hopefully will not have to rely on credit in the future. I have been doing a lot of researching into investing over the lock down and have been introduced to FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) community. If there is anything to come from this pandemic it is that I have learnt that I do not want to be working until retirement age! Whatever that will be, I'm 31 now. I would love to be financially independent to retire at 50! So I have plugged the numbers to see what I need to achieve to reach that goal based on my lifestyle expenses.

Uni has been manic the last couple of weeks with assignment deadlines coming thick and fast. It is very challenging doing all my learning online. I miss the face to face interaction and support from my lecturers. We have been told that the uni will be closed until September. 

My brother gave me a rice cooker this week as he was not using it and it was taking up room. I am so excited to use it as I love a kitchen gadget. I also think it will be fab for when I am back in work as I can make up a big batch of chicken fried rice or Spanish rice and have it for lunch.

Anyway, I am waffling! 

Hope you are all well.

Frank

BlytheDoll

Hello SuperF..
Sorry for not contributing on your posts recently, but I am still reading and following..
Just wanted to say well done on keeping grounded with your finances, I definitely can tell that you have changed your spending and saving habits! These changes will keep you focused for the future.
My (1) has just finished their first year at university and I think like yourself the online learning and deadlines for assignments has been a big change for the past couple of months, even having online timed exams aswell.
Wishing you all well..
BlytheD..

Drawingaline

Doing great, love seeing another ynab success story 😊